Man arrested after prank calls to Dungy, other coaches

A Los Angeles man was arrested Monday after prank calls were made to Tony Dungy and other prominent professional coaches about job vacancies.

Kenneth Tarr, 32, was arrested at his home in Hollywood and booked on suspicion of felony eavesdropping, police spokeswoman Sally Madera said. The charge involves recording phone conversation without the consent of the people on the calls, Madera said.

Madera would give no further details on the calls or identify any victims, saying only that Tarr pretended to be somebody else on the calls.

Police Lt. Mark Reina told NBC News, which first reported the arrest, that the two-month investigation “includes coaches from across professional sports.” San Bernardino County sheriff’s detectives and NFL investigators were assisting in the investigation and more victims were being sought, Reina said.

In October, University of Southern California athletic director Pat Haden said two people pretending to be school representatives contacted two coaches and tried to discuss the Trojans’ football coaching vacancy.

A person claiming to be a USC representative contacted Tony Dungy, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach. Afterward, Dungy talked about his apparent contact with USC on a national radio show, saying he turned down the representative. Dungy later tweeted that he had been misled by “someone acting on their own.”

Haden also said a prankster repeatedly tried to speak to an unnamed member of the Denver Broncos’ coaching staff about the USC opening, later filled by Steve Sarkisian.

Police did not specify if Tarr was responsible for those calls related to USC.

Tarr was being held on $20,000 bail, Los Angeles County jail records showed.

After finally giving up his dream of winning the Kentucky Derby, preferably as a horse, Martin Fennelly has returned to his love of more than two decades, writing about the people and teams who make Tampa sports go.